A sold-out crowd is expected Thursday when the Vancouver Whitecaps host Inter Miami in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-finals at BC Place. It’s expected to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Whitecaps players to play against Lionel Messi.
Messi trained with Inter Miami earlier this week in Fort Lauderdale, but his status for Thursday’s match remains unknown.
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Messi or not, the surprising first-place Whitecaps have a tremendous opportunity to attract casual fans who might not otherwise be fully engaged with the team.
“I don’t think many games that I’ve been a part of at Whitecaps have had a sold-out stadium,” Whitecaps centre back Tristan Blackmon told reporters after training on Tuesday. “It’s going to be a really cool venue and it will make it even better if we get the win.”
When (and if) Messi steps on the pitch, the Whitecaps will have to have a plan to defend him, whether that involves man-marking him, covering his teammates, or limiting his passing options.
“It’s a group effort,” Blackmon said of the gargantuan task. “Everybody’s going to go out there and we’re going to have our assignments on what to do and try to do that to the best of our ability. The best thing we can do is stick together as a team.”
Playing against the greatest player to lace up a pair of boots adds an extra layer of motivation, as does facing Messi’s high-profile Miami teammates: Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets.
“It’s an incredible opportunity,” Blackmon added. “Just talking to people back home and kids I grew up with, I would have never thought that I would have shared the field with Messi, Suarez, and Jordi Alba. I played against (Sergio) Ramos, who was one of my idols growing up. It’s been incredible to share the field with some legends of the game. Hopefully we can bring it to him and make it difficult for him if he comes here, and get the result.”
#VWFC training on Tuesday in Vancouver.
Adekugbe and Nelson trained today.
“They’ll be in the squad,” said Sorensen.
Laborda and Gauld ran laps today.
Won’t play.“Mathias is looking good, I hope that he will be back soon.”
“Ryan is still a little further away.”#VANvMIA pic.twitter.com/WBbZ4w4fFK
— Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) April 22, 2025
Whitecaps midfielder Ali Ahmed faced Messi at the Copa America last year, when the 24-year-old was representing Canada.
“You wake up with a little bit extra motivation when you’re playing against the best,” Ahmed said. “As a player, it’s one thing you look forward to. You wake up with extra energy, an extra boost, knowing it’s a big match. A big game against big players. That part of me definitely wants to compete against one of the best to ever play the game.”
The focus, though, is on stopping Messi and winning the match.
“We’ve got to be conscious of where he is,” Ahmed said. “Not give him any breathing room in the final third or even close to the final third. We know that he can make plays that not many can. I think we’ve got some great players on our team that are going to put up a fight. (Andres) Cubas to the back four. It’s going to be a collective team effort. Not letting him have a fun game.”
Whitecaps coach Jesper Sørensen is on the same page.
“Lionel Messi is a special player for this sport,” Sørensen said. “He has played and delighted people for the past 20 years. It would be silly of me to say something else. It’s special that he’s playing for Miami and we’re playing Miami, but on the other side, it’s not Vancouver against Messi. It’s Vancouver against Miami.
“We’re not here to celebrate Messi. We’re here to do whatever we can to see if we can move on.”